Mara
to act against sponsored scholars involved in underground
movement

10
September 2001

MELAKA
Sept 9 - Mara will not hesitate to take firm action against
its scholars involved in the unregistered underground movment,
Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam Selangor (Hamas), operating at the
Universiti Teknologi Mara.

Mara
Chairman Datuk Wira Abu Seman Yusop said Mara viewed seriously
the underground movement at the Mara university as this could
endanger the nation.

"Mara
will not compromise with any of its scholars proved to be
involved in any underground movement," he told reporters
after attending the inaugural convention of the Mara Professional
College (KPM) at Dewan Seri Negeri here. Melaka Chief Minister
Datuk Wira Mohd Ali Rustam officiated at the function.

"Mara
has so far not been informed of the involvement of its scholars
in the underground movement at the Mara unversity," he
said.

Abu
Seman said he would request a full report of the involvement
of its scholars in Hamas from the university before taking
further action.

The
Mara Chairman said this when asked for his comments on today's
report in Utusan Malaysia that Mara university officials had
found secret documents implicating certain students in the
underground Hamas movement said to be sponsored by an opposition
party.

The
university's Vice-Chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Ibrahim Abu Shah
had said the documents revealed that the Hamas' objective
was to incite the students to go against the Federal Government
in the run up to the 2004 General Election.

Dr
Ibrahim had said the documents were seized from the university's
main campus in Shah Alam and that disciplinary action had
been taken against the head of the Hamas movement.

"The
Mara university is under the management of the Education Ministry
and we can only take action against students sponsored by
Mara," the Mara Chairman said.

Meanwhile
Chief Minister Mohd Ali advised university students not to
get involved in any group that breached the country's laws.

"The
students should focus their attention on their studies and
not get involved in unbeneficial activities that will prove
to be a loss to them," he said.

Mohd
Ali also said the Melaka Government had earmarked an 18.4
hectare site in Tiang Dua in Jasin for the permanent campus
of the KPM.

The
Chief Minister handed over certificates and diplomas to 163
graduands of the KPM.